Well, I’ve been watching the stellar turning projects appear around here and I couldn’t take it anymore. So, craigslist is my new hero! There was a Record CL3 with the RP CHS 6 tool kit, complete, never used-never even assembled.

$200! Next I have to clean all the Cosmoline, or whatever it is, off and assemble it.

OK, folks, I’ve spent the last couple hours scrubbing the thing into submission. Here it is assembled, but not REALLY clean. Also, I ought to buy a new belt, this one’s been in there for 20 years- that’s right, the guy bought it 20 years ago and never even put it together. He had the nice “thank you” letter from Record and the seller, and threw in a wood turning tutorial booklet that he bought (nice, but I’ve done this before, many times).

Well, shucks, I had to celebrate somehow! Also, I’ve offered him some wood or a turning, his choice, to make up the difference. They’re moving out of the country where wood is at a premium, he tells me, and his wife makes jewelry. So, a nice hunk of Bolivian rosewood, bubinga or a Trifern- style turning would be a nice thank-you for the hundreds of dollars I saved. I’ve got some absolutely mouth-watering wood in my supply. Not cheap.

btw, I don’t turn them bottles, just sort of tip ‘em, if you know what I mean.

One thing I DO have to ask the people who have one of these- do you have a method (beyond what I think is obvious) to align the headstock? The thing doesn’t have an index point for parallel to the waybed. Generally, if you are turning bowls, it wouldn’t be an issue. But if you’re turning chair legs or something, you’d like to have some alignment between headstock and tailstock. I can and have aligned many things, but I’m just curious. Mind you, I design parts in metal to sub-thousandths, which isn’t required for wood. But I don’t know everything…